Milling machine



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My invention relates more particularly, to milling machines for use in the production of propeller blades and by which the actual propeller blades, or patterns to be used in the manufacture of cast propellers, may be machine made, it being necessary heretofore, in the manufacture of propeller blades, to first "produce, by hand-shaping, a master pattern to be used in the making of the blades.

My primary object is to provide a machine by which propeller blades, (and by which term as used in this specification and in the claims I intend to include patterns for cast propeller blades) may be manufactured and by an automatic operation, without requiring the pre liminary production, by hand, of a master pattern, and provision made for setting the ma-.

chine for producing propeller blades having any desired degree of pitch with. the angle of the blades, and thus the twist of the blade, progressively decreasing from the hub portion of the blade to its tip in accordance with standard propeller design.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention and shown as adapted for the making of propellers the opposite blade-ends and hub of which are made from a single wood blank. I

Figure 2 is a view thereof in front elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan sectional view of the machine, the section being taken'at the line 3 on Fig. 2 and viewed in,.the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of certain of the parts comprising the structure shown in Fig. 4 the parts being shown in separated, but related, alined, condition.

Figure6 is a cross-sectional view through the head stock of the machine in which the blank from which the propeller is to be made is secured, the section being taken at the line 6 on Fig. 7 and viewed in the direction ofthe arrow.

Figure '7 is a section taken "at the line 1 on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction oithe arrow.

Figure 8 is' a longitudinal sectional view of a,

modification of the machine of, the :preceding figures illustrating a; modification ofv .thqheadstocksuitable,,for use where a" single propeller blade is to be made from a single blankfi'r" Figure} 9 s a front view illustrating a ropels ler ofwcommoniform andiadapted to. be produced Figs. 10 to 16. inclusive, are sectional views through the blade, the sections being taken at the lines 10 to I6, inclusive, respectively, and illustrating the progressive decrease in angle of the blade from the hub portion to the tip I portion of the blade.

Figure 17 is an edge view of the propeller of Fig. 9; and

Figure 18, a face view of one only of the blades of a propeller as produced by the machine modified in accordance with Fig. 8, showing it as attached to a hub portion.

As a preface to a description of the machine, reference may here be made to the propeller structures illustrated in Figs. 9-18, inclusive, and 15 which furnish examples of the structures as of wood which may be made by the machine: Figs 9-17, inclusive, show a structure in which both blades of the propeller are formed from a single blank and Fig. 18, a structure in which each bladewould be formed from a single blank.

In both of these structures the blades are of the same shape and correspondwith the shape of propeller blades as commonly provided, vlz., flat 5 in a direction crosswise thereof at all points along its'length at its rear face as represented at 13 and cambered in a direction crosswise thereof at all points along its length at its front face as represented at M, the blades being of 30 twisted or spiral shape from near the center of the hub I5 to their outer extremities to cause the blades to present a predetermined pitch, with the angle of the blade progressively decreasing from the hub portion of the blade to its tip portion as illustrated in Figs. 10 to 16, inclusive, and tapered at their opposed edges and in thickness toward their outer extremities asiillustrated by the series of sections shown in Figs. 10 to '16, inclusive, the purpose of my ma- 0 chine being to automatically form the blades of the different lengths required under diiferent conditions with the desired fiat and camber tapered surfaces and of the desired pitch and decreasing angle of blade as above referred to.

Referring to the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention, it comprises a hollow column portion lfi' formed' on one face thereof with dovetail vertical guides H on which a knee represented atjlB is vertically adjustable as by '50" 1 with guides 2| extending lengthwisethereof on lengthwise movement relative to the table, the

screw 25 being shown as provided at its ends with crank handles 28 by means of either of which the screw may be turned to feed the table, the screw 25 engaging the thread of a nut (not shown) fixed on the saddle in accordance with common practice.

Mounted on theouter end of the table 25 is a lathe-center device, or tail-stock, 29 for the end of the blank represented at 30 and from which the two-bladed propeller of Figs. 9-17, inclusive, is to be made.

The tail stock 29 is shown as comprising a yoke-member 3| seated on the table 25 and secured in any desired position of longitudinal -adjustment therealong as by bolts 32 the depending heads 33 of which extend into an undercut groove 34 in the table and extending lengthwise thereof. Extending between the upright 1 arms 35 of the yoke 3| and adjustable vertically 55, and a ring I to, the collar 55 as by screws 51,

and rotatably about a horizontal axis is a block 35 shown as provided with a stud 31 extending through a vertical slot 38 in one of the side walls of the yoke 3| and provided with a nut 39 for holding the block in adjusted position.

The block 35 is provided with a centering tool 45 adjustable lengthwise therein as through the medium of an adjusting screw 4| in accordance with common practice in lathe construction.

The blank 35 is provided midway between its ends with an opening, shown at 42 in Figs. 9 and 1'7, disposed crosswise thereof to receive the shaft by which the blade produced from the blank is driven in use; the blank being engaged at the opening 42 with head-stock-forming means, which will now be described, for imparting slow rotation to the blank during the feeding of the table and while being operated on by cutting means hereinafter described for producing the blade.

The rotating means just referred to comprise a box-like member 43 supported on the table 25 and secured thereto as by means of bolts 44 the heads 45 of which extend into the undercut groove 34 and into parallel undercut grooves 45 and hollow dowel pins 45 at the joint between the sections, and screwing into the section 41.

. The member 43 at its opposite ends 55 and 5| contains circular openings 52 and 53, respectively, to permit the blank to be positioned therein as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Rotatably mounted in the opening 52 is a combined gear and blank-rotating member shown as formed of a bevel ring gear 54, having a collar 55 'telescoped with, and secured the ring 55 having an inwardly extending web 58 terminating in a lug 59 carrying a stud 5|| screwed into it and extending diametrically of the ring 55 and having a nut 5| on its outer end, the stud 58 being inserted through the opening 42 in the blank 35 and screwed into the lug .59 and the nut 5| then applied, to interlock the blank 35 with the ring 55 and gear 54 to cause these parts to be rotated as a unit, as hereinafter described.

The gear 54 and ring 55 are shown as held against longitudinal displacement on the member 43 by providing the wall of the opening 52 with an annular rib 52 extending into an annular groove 53 in the outer periphery of the collar 55.

The gear 54 meshes with a bevel gear 54 having a collar portion 55 journalled in the wall of a circular opening 55 in the top of the member 43 and held in place against longitudinal movement by an annular rib 51 thereon extending into an annular groove 58 in the wall of the opening 55.

The gear 55 is connected at 59 with one end of an arm 18 which extends above, and is pivoted to, 'a bracket-arm 1| on the saddle 22. The pivot for the arm 15 comprises a stud 12 which extends through an elongated slot 13 in, and extending lengthwise of, the bracket-arm 1|. The stud 12 is adjustable in the slot 13 lengthwise of the latter and is adapted to be held in place by clamping the bracket-arm 1| between a disk-like enlargement 14 on the stud, above the bracket-arm, and a nut 15 screwed on the,

lower threaded end of the stud against a washer 15 on the stud and'bearing against the undersurface of the bracket arm.

The stud 12 extends above the enlargement 14 at which it projects into a groove 11 provided in the underside of the arm 18 to extend lengthwise of the latter, the upper portion of the stud 12 carrying an anti-friction roller 18 to permit the arm 1|! to freely slide on the stud.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, assuming the stud 12 to have been clamped to the bracket-arm 1|, the movement of the table 25 will cause the gear 55 to be rotated by reason of the swinging and sliding movement of the arm 18 on the stud and effect the rotation of the gear 54 and stud-equipped ring 55 and consequently the blank 3|! in timed relation to the movement of the table 25, but at a progressively decreasing speed.

The machine also comprises cutter means which operate, in the travel of the table 25 and the simultaneous rotation of the blank 35 as described, to cut the blade to shape, these means being shown as comprising a horizontal spindle 19 provided with a cutter 15 and projecting over the table 25 crosswise thereof, spindle being journalled on a stud 88 threaded, to permit it to be released from the spindle, in a head 8| carried by supporting rods 82 on the column I5, and the other end of the spindle having driving connectionwith a rotating shaft 83 which may be driven by any suitable means, as for example by means (not shown) located in the column l5, and driven from a pulleyequipped shaft 84 in accordance with well known practice.

For the cutting of blades as shown in the drawings two spindles 18 would be provided for use in succession, one, the cutter '18- of which would be preferably shaped generally as shown to produce the cambered surfaces l4 of the blades and the other the cutter 15' of which would be of a shape to make a flat out to form the surfaces l3.

A description of the operation of the machine as above described is as follows:

one end of this Assuming the machine to be in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the blank 30 in place therein, the operator adjusts the centering tool 40 to such an elevation as will cause the blade formed by the machine, in the operation of the two shapes of cutters 19* on its opposite faces, respectively, as above referred to, to present the desired taper toward its outer end along its opposite edges and in thickness, and adjusts the pivot I2 lengthwise along the bracket-arm I l to the position necessary to effect the cutting of the blade to the desired pitch, it being understood that the closer the pivot 12 is adjusted toward the table 25 the greater the degree of revolution of the blank 30 for any given length of travel of the table and the farther this pivot is adjusted away from the table the lesser the degree of revolution of the blank;

The operator then elevates the knee I8, together with the parts carried thereby, by actuating the crank 20, properly alining the blank 30 with the cutter 18' by actuating the crank 23, and causing the cutter to start the cut at the proper point along the blank by adjusting the screw 28, the knee l8 being adjusted to such a height that the cutter will cut into the blank to the desired degree.

The cutter 19 having finished the camber-cut at the starting point of the cutting operation the operator, by rotating the screw 26, feeds the blank 30 across the cutter thus simultaneously imparting rotative movement to the blank, to complete the camber-cutting operation throughout the length of the blade, the cross-cambered spiral surface thus produced being of a pitch as determined by the particular preliminary setting of the stud 12, with the angle of the blade progressively decreasing from the hub portion of the blade to its tip, as generally shown in Figs. 10 to 16, inclusive, due to the fact that as the table moves to the left in Fig. 3 from the initial posi tion the lever arm presented by the arm Ill progressively le ens.

The cambered surface of the blade'having been formed, the screw 26 is reversely rotated to return the table and blank-rotating parts to the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the knee l8 and the parts carried thereby lowered away from the cutter, and a straight cutter substituted, for the curved cutter, the stud I2 remaining in the position to which it was adjusted for forming the camber surface on the blade. The blank is then elevated by the knee l8 to be engaged by the cutter at the surface of the blank opposite its camber surface, and the operations of feeding the table and simultaneously rotating the blank, as above described, repeated to form the transversely-flat spiral face of the blade.

The above described operations are repeated on the opposite end of the blank 2| which is turned end for end to position its uncut end for cutting by the cutting mechanism, to shape this end of the blank as described of the end of the blank first operated on.

Where the blank to be operated on is to form one blade only of a propeller as shown of the 'blade in Fig. 18, certain modifications of the head stock for the blank It must be made, a desirable form of head-stock for such a singleblade blank being shown in Fig. 8 and comprisin a body-member 88 having seating portions II at its opposite sides at which it would be supported on the table 25 and held in place generally as described of the head-stock of the receding figures. Journalled' in the body member 86 is a hollow arbor I! held against lengthwise movement therein and in which a centering-pin 88 for the adjacent end of the blank and represented at 89, is mounted. the arbor 81 having a disk 80 thereon containing a notch 8| to receive the end 92 of a lathe-dog 93 embracing, and rigidly secured to, the blank 89 whereby the blank is rotated by the arbor.

Keyed at 94 to the arbor 81 is a bevel-gear 95 which meshes with a bevel-gear 88 secured to a vertical stub shaft 81 journalled at the top of the member 86 the upper end of the shaft 81 presenting a head 98 having a non-circular lug 99 thereon which extends into 'a similarlyshaped opening Hill in the arm III with a washer [0| interposed between the head 98 and the arm 10, a nut I02 screwed on the upper end of the stub-shaft securing these parts rigidly together.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction of machine embodying my invention and a certain modification thereof,

I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered and embodied in other forms of structure without departing from the spirit of my invention: and as illustrative of a modification thereof it may be stated that, while the cutters are shown as of such size as to cut completely across the blade and thus form each of the opposed surfaces of the blade by a single feeding operation, this is not necessary in utilizing my invention as they may be of a size to out part way only across the blade thus requiring a plurality of feeding operations to finish each side of the blade.

What I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of means for rotatably supporting a blank, means for cutting the blank. said firstnamed means being movable lengthwise relative to said second-named means, and means for moving said first-named means lengthwise and simultaneously rotating the blank comprising a fixed pivot mounted on a stationary part of the machine and a lever operatively engaging said first-named means making a sliding connection with said pivot.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of means for rotatably supporting a blank, means for cutting the blank, said first-named means beingmovable lengthwise relative to said second-named means, and means for moving said first-named means lengthwise and simultaneously rotating the blank-comprising a pivot adjustably secured to a stationary .part of the machine and a lever operatively engaging said first-named means, and makinga sliding connection with said pivot.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a stationary support, a blankfeeding member movable on said support, means rotatable on said member for rotatably supportting a blank. means for cutting the blank. and means for rotating said first-named means in the movement of said member comprising a lever fulcrumed on said support and engagin said first-named means, said fulcrum being adjustable to vary the lever arm.

4. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a stationary support, means rotatable on said support for rotatably supporting ablankandcomprisingaframeapertin'edto a blank and comprising a frame apertured to receive the blank, a ring gear adjacent one of said apertures and having means adapted to engage the blank for rotating the latter, a second gear meshing with said ring gear and means-for actuating said second gear, and means for cutting the blank, said flrst-named means and said last-named means being relatively movable in the direction of the length of the blank.

6. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a stationary support, means rotatable on said support for rotatably supporting a blank and comprising intermeshing gears,

a centering pin connected with one of said gears for engaging the blank and means for actuating said gears, and means for cutting the blank said first-named means and said last-named means being relatively movable in the direction of the length of the blank.

'7. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a stationary support, a member movable lengthwise on said support, means for moving said member, a head-stock and a tailstock on said member for a blank to be cut, the blank-engaging portion of said tail-stock being adjustable into different angular positions relative to the path of movement of said member and said head-stock having a rotatable section engageable with the blank for rotating the latter, a rotatable member for actuating said rotatable section, an arm connected with said rotatable member, a pivot-device fulcruming said arm on said support and adjustable on said support crosswise of the direction of movement of said first-named member and adiustable lengthwise of said arm, and rotary cutter means on said support for cutting the blank.

8. In a machine of the character set forth: the combination of a bed having a table movably mounted thereon, means on said table adapted to support a blank rotatably, and means operable by the movement of said table relative to the bed for rotating said blank comprising an arm engaging said bed and the first-named means, said arm forming at any position a hypotenuse for one of a series of right triangleshaving a common sid and a milling-cutter journaled in said bed with its axis of rotation transverse to the direction of travel of said table and adaptedto out said blank.

9. In a machine of the character set forth: the combination of a bed having a table movably mounted thereon, a bracket mounted on said bed, a pivot mounted on said bracket, means for rotatably supporting a blank on said table, and a lever slidingly fulcrumed on said pivot and operatively engaging said means and operating" in its swinging movement to actuate said means.

10. In a machine of the character set forth: the combination of a bed having a table movably mounted thereon, a bracket removably secured to said bed,- a pivot adjustably mounted on said racket, means for rotatablysupporting a blank on said table, and a lever slidingly fulcrumedon said pivot and operatively engaging said supporting means to rotate said blank.

11. In a machine of the character set forth: the combination of a bed having a table movably mounted thereon, a headstock and a tailstock mounted on said table to support a blank ro-- tatably, adjusting means on said tailstock for moving-the axis of rotation of said blank from its line of travel, and means for rotating said blank by means of the headstock through the 'movement of said table.

WASYL HUCALH ISCLAIMER 2,003, 936. -W l Hucal, Chicago, Ill. MILLING MACHINE. Patent datd June 4,

1935. isclaimer filed June 4, 1936, by the patentee;

Hereb enters this disclaimerto claims 6 and 11 of said patent.

[ Gazette June 23, 1 936.] 

